andre the giant – Between The Ropeshttp://www.betweentheropes.com
Thu, 24 May 2018 03:52:48 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.6http://www.betweentheropes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cropped-BTR-itunes-black-final-32x32.jpgandre the giant – Between The Ropeshttp://www.betweentheropes.com
3232Famous Overseas Wrestling Legend Steve Rickard Dieshttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/04/06/famous-overseas-wrestling-legend-steve-rickard-dies/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/04/06/famous-overseas-wrestling-legend-steve-rickard-dies/#respondMon, 06 Apr 2015 19:21:45 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=17553You’ve probably never heard of him, but the man has been dubbed the “Vince McMahon of New Zealand Wrestling.” He’s battled all-time greats like Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, Killer Kowalski, and more. He’s a multi-time Heavyweight champion. The Pro Wrestling Torch named him “one of New Zealand’s greatest wrestlers,” and is credited with turning professional wrestling ...

]]>You’ve probably never heard of him, but the man has been dubbed the “Vince McMahon of New Zealand Wrestling.” He’s battled all-time greats like Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, Killer Kowalski, and more. He’s a multi-time Heavyweight champion. The Pro Wrestling Torch named him “one of New Zealand’s greatest wrestlers,” and is credited with turning professional wrestling into home entertainment.

His name is Steve Rickard, and yesterday he passed away at the age of 85. He died in his sleep.

Outside of some high-level international bouts (back when World Champions actually went around the world and defended their championships), Rickard is best known overseas as both athlete and promoter. Some of the accolades to his name were: NWA Australasian Heavyweight Champion, NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Champion, NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Champion, and half of the first NWA Australasian Tag Team Champions.

He also helped run Dominion Wrestling Union and created On The Mat, a long running overseas wrestling sports program. Later, he serviced as President of the NWA. You might not know his name, but you undoubtedly still feel his influence.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/04/06/famous-overseas-wrestling-legend-steve-rickard-dies/feed/0WWE WrestleMania 30th Anniversary Card: Part 2http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/03/12/wwe-wrestlemania-30th-anniversary-card-part-2/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/03/12/wwe-wrestlemania-30th-anniversary-card-part-2/#respondFri, 13 Mar 2015 01:46:30 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=17199Over the last couple of weeks, I sat down and compiled a 30 match card to celebrate 30 years of WWE WrestleMania. This is not the top 30 matches in WrestleMania history. This is a 30th Anniversary Card, and because it’s a card and not a list, no person appears more than once. That is ...

]]>Over the last couple of weeks, I sat down and compiled a 30 match card to celebrate 30 years of WWE WrestleMania. This is not the top 30 matches in WrestleMania history. This is a 30th Anniversary Card, and because it’s a card and not a list, no person appears more than once. That is the challenge of compiling such a card.

This week, we’ll look at matches 25-21. Let’s get to it!

25. The Shield vs. The New Age Outlaws & Kane (XXX) (2:56)

A very quick affair that showed off the talent of The Shield. While those guys haven’t been around for long, I believe all 3 will be major players in the WWE for many years to come. Because of this I think that a few years down the line, if I were to look back on this card without these 3 men on it, I’d feel pretty stupid. That’s the sole reason I’ve included this match, and placed it where I did. The Outlaws get to ride the wave with them. Kane could’ve went elsewhere, but I needed him here instead.

A solid tag match that I would consider to be a bit of a sleeper. I’ll be honest, I think this was the worst Mania ever. I know most point to IX, but at least it had a nice look (being the first outdoor Mania) and is actually kind of fun to watch in an Ed Wood, Plan 9, sort of way. This tag match is a fun glimmer of hope on this crummy show. Bulldog and Kid were such a great team and I was so glad to find this match so I could include both men on this card. Also, a bonus here is the involvement of Ozzy Osbourne, who may or may not have been under the influence of… something. Valentine is one of my favorite guys from this era so I was also glad he could find a place here too. Beefcake gets brought along for the ride, similar to his actual career (I know, that’s a bit harsh).

23. Andre The Giant vs. Big John Studd (I) (5:54)

I know, the Andre/Hogan match at Mania III is the poster image for the WrestleMania series, but I needed Hogan elsewhere in a more important match. Also, I hate that match. I know many will disagree, but I thought the WrestleMania III main event was clunky, boring, and just blah. This match isn’t a lot better, but Andre had to be on the card somewhere. This is the earliest Andre match available, which means he’s in the best shape in this match as opposed to any other Mania match. Also, I love Big John Studd and this is his only match outside of the NFL/WWF battle royal at the next Mania. It may not be the best reason in the world to include a match, but leaving out Andre would have hurt the credibility of the card.

22. JBL vs. Finley (XXIV) (8:43)

This one is definitely an overlooked match. It’s a heck of a brawl as both men beat up on each other pretty good. I’ve always been a fan of this match and when I came up with the idea of making this card and trying to find some “hidden gems” this was one of the first matches that came to mind. If you haven’t seen this one, go out of your way to do so. The storyline leading up to it was a bit silly (it involved Hornswoggle and whether or not he was Vince McMahon’s son) and that’s why it isn’t a little higher on the card but the match itself is really good.

21. Steiner’s vs. Headshrinkers (IX) (14:22)

The hidden gems keep on coming. Yes, I found something from the infamous 9th Mania worth adding to the card. This is actually a sneaky good tag match and it also contains the first time Jim Ross said “Slobberknocker” on WWE television. The Steiner’s are one of my favorite teams and this was their only WrestleMania match so I was glad to see it was worthy of adding to this card. The finish has a botched Frankensteiner, which brings this match down a couple of notches, but it’s a solid affair nevertheless.

You’ll notice there were more quality matches here than in matches 30-26. This begins to become the norm moving forward. One thing that changes starting in Part 3 is the phrase “hidden gem” or “underrated” starts to go away and instead we’ll start to see more acclaimed matches begin to peek through. That doesn’t mean all the underrated matches are gone. In fact, my number 7 match is one I’d consider underrated. But, that’ll be out in due time. Hopefully you’re finding this series to be fun. Part 3 should be out Tuesday. I’ll see ya then.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/03/12/wwe-wrestlemania-30th-anniversary-card-part-2/feed/031 WrestleMania Matches From The Golden Erahttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/02/26/31-wrestlemania-matches-from-the-golden-era/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/02/26/31-wrestlemania-matches-from-the-golden-era/#respondThu, 26 Feb 2015 21:37:25 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=16902We’re just about a month away from WrestleMania 31 from Santa Clara, California. We’re are going to be releasing a playlist of the best 31 WrestleMania matches from the Golden Era of the WWE. Here’s a quick stat for you guys, there was 113 matches spanning from the first WrestleMania to WrestleMania 9 which is ...

]]>We’re just about a month away from WrestleMania 31 from Santa Clara, California. We’re are going to be releasing a playlist of the best 31 WrestleMania matches from the Golden Era of the WWE. Here’s a quick stat for you guys, there was 113 matches spanning from the first WrestleMania to WrestleMania 9 which is the era we’re covering in this column. We’ll try our best to make this list as unique, interesting and fun as possible, but as always these list pieces are always subjective. This is a great opportunity for all of you great wrestling fans to check out great matches from the past on the WWE Network. If you have your own favorite WrestleMania matches from the 1980’s comment below.

I hope you guys enjoyed this list. I tried to mix the list it up to where I could have the matches that would play to the favor of today’s wrestling fan and and also the old-school wrestling fans. The list was formed out of historical significance, story telling, and match quality. It’s a subjective list there’s no right or wrong answer, but at the same time I would like to hear back from you guys. Tells us your favorite WrestleMania matches from the Golden Era of the WWE. Next week I’ll have the difficult task to come up with a list of the best 31 WrestleMania matches from the New Generation Era.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/02/26/31-wrestlemania-matches-from-the-golden-era/feed/02K WWE SuperCard Reviewhttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/09/02/2k-wwe-supercard-review/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/09/02/2k-wwe-supercard-review/#respondTue, 02 Sep 2014 16:02:17 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=133712K Sports recently released an interactive card game available for download across IOS and Android operating systems featuring the WWE called “WWE SuperCard”. It’s pretty much identical to the NBA 2K14 card game 2K Sports put out earlier in the year and yours truly has played enough to give his two cents. First and foremost, ...

]]>2K Sports recently released an interactive card game available for download across IOS and Android operating systems featuring the WWE called “WWE SuperCard”. It’s pretty much identical to the NBA 2K14 card game 2K Sports put out earlier in the year and yours truly has played enough to give his two cents.

First and foremost, the whole idea of the game is weird. I get the idea behind some cards being better than others – after all, John Cena is probably better than R-Truth no matter how you shake it. But what’s weird is that there are varying degrees of each performer. So a purple Cena is better than a blue, a lighter purple is better than the darker purple and yellow trumps all.

Now, before I continue, let me further elaborate and then pick a bone. The cards have different titles and values. The commons are just that, the uncommons the next step up, then the rare, super rare, ultra rare, epic and legendary. The latter two are especially hard to obtain if you’re just playing the game; I’ve played nearly 3,000 games and have yet to get a yellow card (epic is gold-ish, Legendary is yellow). Then again, you can always purchase one if you just can’t wait to get one. Note: you should never do this because it will make you a sad, sad person.

As for the problem with that scheme: it’s who gets what that is the issue. As you get higher up the chain, each card comes with a “special move”. It’s one of their in-ring abilities, but it comes with heavy plusses to one specific category (speed, power, toughness, charisma). The problem with that is certain performers would never, ever be considered legendary, yet there they are. Cameron, the shrieking, annoying ex-Funcadactyl has a legendary card while the actually-legendary Andre the Giant does not. I probably don’t need to explain why that’s an issue. I get limiting the selection of who makes it to legendary status, but how about not making a few crappy divas get up to that level over actual legends?

The game play is pretty straight forward: you get a “deck” of five cards (four superstars and a diva) and you basically try to match them up by category. If you get power, you try to pick your guy with the highest number. It’s like this for all four categories.

You can improve your superstars by “training” them. Each card and level have corresponding tiers (rare cards can get up to level 15, for instance) that you can train your card to, making their stats better. You do this by basically taking other, crappier cards that you’d never ever use and merging them into your better card. That’s right: two Eva Marie’s can now make your Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat a pro? I know, it hurts my head, too.

Not only that, but the selection of superstars is fairly limited. Sure, you get all the stars of today, but the past superstars is highly limited. There’s Rock, Stone Cold, Andre, Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels, but no Bret Hart, Mick Foley, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, etc. That’s not to mention the huge missed opportunity by adding WCW and ECW stars, but there’s probably some licensing issues behind that so I can’t fully blame 2KSports. There are supposedly updates on the way, so hopefully that includes an expanded roster and the ability to trade or challenge opponents (right now, you can only play the completely non-interactive King of the Ring or just play a random assortment of players in the exhibition feature).

On the whole, this game is basic as basic can be and lacking in a lot of areas. Yet I cannot stop playing it. I don’t get it. This should have gotten boring for me after about 20 games, but I’m nearly 3k deep and there are no signs of stopping.

Overall, it still needs a lot of tweaking, but WWE SuperCard appeals to my sense of “gotta get better, gotta get better” because I’ll be damned if I’m gonna lose because of my crappy Cameron card.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/09/02/2k-wwe-supercard-review/feed/0Pro Wrestling Icons in Online Slots Gameshttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/05/16/pro-wrestling-icons-in-online-slots-games/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/05/16/pro-wrestling-icons-in-online-slots-games/#respondFri, 16 May 2014 09:54:37 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/05/16/pro-wrestling-icons-in-online-slots-games/From the squared circle to the slot reels Pro wrestling remains one of the most captivating and fascinating forms of entertainment today. Its outsized characters, engaging storylines, and physical theater have enthralled audiences from around the world. These days, pro wrestling has emerged as a formidable presence in the realm of online slots games. Both ...

Pro wrestling remains one of the most captivating and fascinating forms of entertainment today. Its outsized characters, engaging storylines, and physical theater have enthralled audiences from around the world. These days, pro wrestling has emerged as a formidable presence in the realm of online slots games. Both pro wrestling fans and online slots enthusiasts now have the tremendous opportunity to win significant amounts of cash while reliving the glory days of spandex-clad grapplers. In recent years, two of the most beloved legends of the squared circle have served as creative inspiration for highly acclaimed online slots games.

Sydney-based games studio NextGen Gaming, which has produced titles for castlejackpot.com in the past, created and launched the Andre the Giant online slots game. It’s a five-reel, 25-payline game that features the gentle giant himself (with arms crossed) as the Wild symbol. The Andre symbol will only appear on reels 2 and 4, which will then expand across all reels with a slick animated sequence. The game logo serves as the Scatter symbol; getting three or more Scatter symbols will grant players 10 free spins. Interestingly enough, players have the chance to collect wrestling moves during the free spins when the appropriate icons show up on the fifth reel. After the free spins, players can then select one of three combatants to square off inside the wrestling ring. Players will claim a cash prize for every wrestling move they can pull off.

Of course, it’s not too surprising to find out that Hulk Hogan – Andre the Giant’s Wrestlemania III opponent – has his own themed online slots game. London-based gaming giant Endemol Games developed the Hulkamania online slots game, which is teeming with bombastic Hogan imagery like his famous Rayban shades, a close-up shot of an arm wrestling contest, and a gold-encrusted championship belt. There’s even the occasional cutaway video footage of Hulk Hogan to satisfy all the Hulkamaniacs out there.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/05/16/pro-wrestling-icons-in-online-slots-games/feed/0WWE Raw: Daniel Bryan, WWE Fans Get Their Wish for WrestleMania 30http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/03/11/wwe-raw-daniel-bryan-wwe-fans-get-wish-wrestlemania-30/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/03/11/wwe-raw-daniel-bryan-wwe-fans-get-wish-wrestlemania-30/#respondTue, 11 Mar 2014 20:31:56 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=7527Brian and Steve talk WWE Raw from Monday night with Daniel Bryan finally getting his match against Triple H at WrestleMania and him “possibly” being added to the championship match on the show, other matches now official for WrestleMania including the Andre the Giant Memorial battle royal, other ideas for the big event and more. ...

]]>Brian and Steve talk WWE Raw from Monday night with Daniel Bryan finally getting his match against Triple H at WrestleMania and him “possibly” being added to the championship match on the show, other matches now official for WrestleMania including the Andre the Giant Memorial battle royal, other ideas for the big event and more. Plus they talk about the TNA Lockdown PPV and your questions.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2014/03/11/wwe-raw-daniel-bryan-wwe-fans-get-wish-wrestlemania-30/feed/0WWE Makes A Major Announcement Regarding WWE 2K14http://www.betweentheropes.com/2013/08/12/wwe-makes-a-major-announcement-regarding-wwe-2k14/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2013/08/12/wwe-makes-a-major-announcement-regarding-wwe-2k14/#respondMon, 12 Aug 2013 16:37:10 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=3258The WWE and 2K announced today that the new video game WWE 2K14 will now have a feature called 30 Years of WrestleMania, which will be centered around the biggest matches in the history of WrestleMania. One of the big matches will include Hulk Hogan against Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III. There will be ...

]]>The WWE and 2K announced today that the new video game WWE 2K14 will now have a feature called 30 Years of WrestleMania, which will be centered around the biggest matches in the history of WrestleMania. One of the big matches will include Hulk Hogan against Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III.

There will be 45 matches included in the new feature including matches like Hogan versus Andre, Hogan versus The Rock from WrestleMania 18 and The Rock versus John Cena from WrestleMania 28.

The new feature will also include recreated arenas, ring entrances of the wrestlers and the graphics used for each match.

Here is a statement WWE issued today regarding the new feature for WWE 2K14:

2K announced the all-new “30 Years of WrestleMania” mode in “WWE 2K14,” the upcoming video game in the award-winning franchise. Details about the exciting new single-player campaign were revealed during a conference call with WWE COO Triple H and 2K Creative Director Cory Ledesma.

Inspired by the landmark WrestleMania XXX, which will emanate from New Orleans on Sunday, April 6, 2014, “30 Years of WrestleMania” will be a nostalgic journey through three decades of WWE history. Utilizing the greatest video game roster ever assembled, “30 Years” will allow players the chance to relive and experience 45 classic WrestleMania matches, including Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III, Hogan vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X8 and The Rock vs. John Cena a tWrestleMania XXVIII.

The inclusion of Hulk Hogan in the game is a particularly exciting announcement, and one the WWE Universe has eagerly anticipated.

“WrestleMania creates moments in time that last forever,” WWE’s COO told reporters. “And with our amazing partner, 2K, we can really capture that.”

Also included are exclusive WWE-produced video packages made for the game to refresh the storylines that led to the matches and historical in-game objectives to unlock a treasure trove of rewards such as Superstars, Legends, alternate attire and exclusive photography.

“Knowing where you came from is important to where you’re going to go, and for WrestleMania, it’s important to see these iconic moments,” Triple H said. “We are extremely excited about this concept, as 30 years of WrestleMania is a massive milestone for us.”

“WWE 2K14” puts gamers in the boots of WWE’s grandest Superstars at the very moments that made them legendary, allowing WWE Universe members the chance to live that big match and participate in that big WrestleMania moment.

Because “WWE 2K14” is where dream matches happen, WWE.com asked Triple H what his dream match would be. Admitting that it would be hard to choose just one, The Cerebral Assassin said, “I would have loved to go one-on-one with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania, because I consider him to be the greatest in-ring performer of all time, and my best friend.”

Since we are talking dream matchups here, Triple H added, “I’d go back to the early ’80s and wrestle Ric Flair … I’ll go back even further and say Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers. I’m really a history-based guy.”

And, from all accounts, “WWE 2K14” is shaping up to be a game steeped in history, while bringing the cutting-edge graphics and gameplay the WWE Universe has come to expect from the franchise. Follow Between The Ropes on Facebook and Twitter.